AFC East-leading Bills return home following 3 road games to host the Titans

Updated Oct. 19, 2024 4:11 p.m. ET

Associated Press

Tennessee (1-4) at Buffalo (4-2)

Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT, CBS

BetMGM NFL odds: Bills by 9.

Series record: Titans lead 30-20.

Against the spread: Titans 1-4, Bills 3-3.

Last meeting: Bills beat Titans 41-7 on Sept. 19, 2022, in Orchard Park.

Last week: Titans lost to Colts 20-17; Bills beat Jets 23-20.

Titans offense: overall (31), rush (15), pass (31), scoring (21).

Titans defense: overall (1), rush (9), pass (1), scoring (13).

Bills offense: overall (21), rush (11), pass (25), scoring (7).

Bills defense: overall (21), rush (23), pass (15), scoring (11).

Turnover differential: Titans minus-7; Bills plus-8

Titans player to watch

QB Will Levis. The Titans have said they're all-in on the 33rd pick overall out of Kentucky in the 2023 draft and understand he needs time to develop after getting a new head coach and offense for his second season. But Levis threw for only 95 yards last week for the worst game of his short career and was lucky to be picked once. He's questionable, and the Titans promoted Trevor Siemian off the practice squad Saturday. That could give Mason Rudolph his first start since Jan. 6 for Pittsburgh at Baltimore.

Bills player to watch

Amari Cooper. Though coach Sean McDermott wasn't ready to commit to saying whether Cooper will be active, the expectation is the 10th-year receiver making his Bills’ debut after being acquired in trade with the Cleveland Browns on Tuesday. Cooper was brought in to upgrade a patchwork group of receivers, who struggled gaining separation against defenders this season.

Key matchup

Bills QB Josh Allen against the Titans defense. Tennessee has held its first five opponents to under 200 yards net passing facing the likes of rookie Caleb Williams, backup Malik Willis, Tyler Huntley and Joe Flacco. If the Titans can hold Allen below 200 yards net passing, it would be the first time this franchise has done that since the first six games of the 1975 season as the Houston Oilers.

Key injuries

The Titans ruled out backup RB Tyjae Spears, who is week to week with a hamstring injury, and DL Keondre Coburn (knee). They placed WR Treylon Burks on injured reserve Saturday after hurting his knee in practice this week. ... Levis (right shoulder) and CB L'Jarius Sneed (quadriceps) both are questionable ... Bills DT Ed Oliver (hamstring) and RB James Cook (toe) are set to return, with neither carrying an injury designation. ... Backup RB Ray Davis (calf) is listed as questionable.

Series notes

This game pits two of the eight original American Football League franchises. The home team has won three straight in this series. ... The Bills have won four of the past six. ... The Titans are 9-5 against Buffalo since making the move from Houston to Nashville, and that includes a 22-16 win on Jan. 1, 2000 in wild-card playoff meeting since dubbed “The Music City Miracle.” The Titans won on a kickoff return in the final seconds when Frank Wycheck threw a lateral across the field to Kevin Dyson, who ran it in from 75 yards.

Stats and stuff

This starts a two-game road swing for the Titans. ... The Titans defense is fourth in the NFL in red zone efficiency, allowing just four TDs on 10 trips inside their 20. ... The Titans snapped a streak of 33 straight games allowing at least one sack last week when they did not allow a single sack that went back to Oct. 18, 2021, against Buffalo. ... RB Tony Pollard had a season-high 93 yards rushing and a TD last week. ... Five-time Pro Bowl WR DeAndre Hopkins led the Titans with four catches for 54 yards last week. He needs eight catches to become the seventh player all time to reach 950 receptions in his first 12 seasons. ... S Amani Hooker had the Titans' first interception of the season, giving him eight for his career. ... Buffalo returns home after going 1-2 on the road, and playing its first home game since a 47-10 win over Jacksonville on Sept. 23. ... Allen will be making his 100th regular-season start. He’s 67-32, and has started 94 consecutive games since missing four with an injury to his right throwing elbow in 2018, his rookie season. ... Allen is the NFL’s only starter to not throw an interception this season. The six-game streak is the longest of his career and comes after he threw a career-worst 18 last season. ... Allen’s two lost fumbles account for both of Buffalo’s giveaways this season. Overall, he is 28-5 when not committing a turnover. ... Rookie RB Davis had 97 yards rushing and a team-leading 55 yards receiving in his first career start last week, filling in for Cook. ... With 250 yards receiving in six games with Cleveland, Cooper takes over the lead in Buffalo, 1 yard ahead of Khalil Shakir. ... CB Taron Johnson had a hand in eight tackles and his diving interception helped seal Buffalo’s win over the Jets in his first game since breaking his right forearm in Week 1. ...With Levis making his 15th career start, Buffalo is 22-2, with 35 interceptions and 71 sacks against opposing quarterbacks with 16 or fewer starts since 2019.

Fantasy tip

With Spears likely out, Pollard is expected to get the majority of Titans carries against a defense that gave up 271 yards rushing to ex-Titan Derrick Henry and the Ravens three weeks ago. The Bills have allowed 120-plus yards rushing four times.

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